https://66.media.tumblr.com/972ef869600cba5942458be086298650/0ce08c3f44b53812-29/s540x810/c515d82141801c9c40b771792911080952be3caf.gif.
THE NEXT DAY
My hope of sleeping the whole week away was crushed when Damon insisted on poking and prodding me awake as soon as Stefan went to school this morning. Apparently he wanted back-up to confront Elijah at The Historical Society's Tea Party. I rolled my eyes at his idea, explaining how I was team Elijah until the ancient and deadly Original crossed us. He wanted to fight me on it, but I was far too tired for any verbal sparring, simply reminding him of Jonas showing up to deal with our Werewolf issue when I had passed out. He was silent after that, I had never been so grateful.
And even if I wasn't his voodoo back-up, I still couldn't turn down a Tea Party--nor the opportunity to see Elijah in a suit. Now, I know what you must be thinking, 'at this point in the narrative, he's always wearing a suit', and all I really have to say to that is...lucky me then...
I focused on my hearing the second we entered the soiree, grateful to hear a conversation I'd seen far too many times on my small TV screen-- "Have you spent much time in Richmond for your book? Such a wealth of history."
"No. I'm focusing mostly on the smaller regions of Virginia. Lots of research. Strictly academic." I couldn't stop myself from grinning, the mere sound of his voice making me giddy.
"I'm gonna get a drink," I tore myself from Damon's side, not allowing him the chance to protest before I successfully escaped.
I reached a table set aside, grabbing a lemonade and being disturbed from my sip by a hunter-- "Hi," my eyes trailed to meet Alaric's gaze. "Adelina, isn't it?"
"Yeah," I grinned. "Alaric, right?"
"Call me Ric."
I leaned against the wall behind me, "Then call me Adie."
He grinned in response, "I was surprised to learn Damon had a sister. He and Stefan certainly kept you hush hush."
I tried to keep my expression neutral, even when my thoughts were erratic; 'That's because I'm not supposed to exist! What if Stefan and Damon can't really remember anything before my arrival here? Like I just appeared in a poof and they're just forced to remember a bond between us when they're actually completely clueless about me? What if I didn't actually replace anyone and when they try to think back on my existence before I popped up to help with Elena, their mind just goes blank?!...'-- "What can I say? I'm the dirty little secret of the family," I offered a wink.
"I can't imagine why..." His smile remained even when his gaze grew more intrigued, the man starting to look at me as though I was a jumbled rubix cube.
"Not to be rude but--uh, was there something you needed?"
He shrugged, "Just wanted to see who you were more like, I guess."
"In my eating habits or personality?"
His eyes widened, almost as though my blunt question had caught him out. "Eating habits?"
"I've fed on humans but found it was too risky. I'll most likely stick to blood bags, or maybe the odd vamp willing to open up a vein..." I felt a gaze burning into the side of my face with the wording, my lower lip nibbled to force down my blush when I remembered just how intimate blood-sharing could be.
"You'd feed on vampires?" Alaric was shocked.
"Only the old ones," I promised in a teasing whisper. "And personality wise? I have no clue yet, maybe you can tell me after you spend some time with me."
"Well, as long as we haven't got two Damon's running around then I think we should be good."
Chuckles were shared, said devil using that as his que to join us-- "Talking about me(?)"
"Only good things, fratello maggiore." (Older Brother) I promised with a bat of my lashes, the elder vampire's eyes rolling--an honest smile appearing none-the-less. "So, how's the whole cornering an Original that could gut you in half a second going(?)" Damon offered me an annoyed expression, my smile only doubling with the sight. "As poorly as I predicted(?) Shock(!)"
His gaze trailed away from me, completely enraptured by my all time biggest crush-- "Let's see about that," my eyes narrowed when he patted my arm, making his way toward Elijah with a cocky smirk and arrogant demeanor.
"You don't think--"
"That he's gonna get himself killed(?)" Ric and I watched the pair split away from Carol for some privacy in a sealed office. "I should probably interrupt the attempt, right?"
"Probably."
A huff of air passed my lips before I hurried toward the closed door, narrowly avoiding John's beeline to the town's local vampire hunter. I leaned against the doorway, brushing some of my hair over my shoulder and focusing to catch the end of a sentence-- "They're laying low, you know. Bit of a werewolf problem."
"Oh yeah, I heard about that--How is Adelina?" I could feel Damon's teeth clench.
"She's fine..." He forced out, "All thanks to your witch saving the day(!)--"
"You are welcome."
"Which only adds to my confusion on exactly why you're here."
"Why don't you just stay focused on keeping Elena safe and leave the rest to me."
My eyes rolled with the sound of whooshing, "Not good enough..."
A bang sounded, "You young vampires, so arrogant. How dare you come in here and challenge me."
"You can't kill me man. It's not part of the deal."
"Silence," I thought that retort was as good a time as any to push on the handle, sealing the wood in sync with a pencil entering Damon's neck. "Adelina. So nice of you to join us..."
"Well, as much as I enjoy a good man on man, I'd really appreciate you not killing my brother."
His lips twitched with amusement, "As you wish," another thump sounded as he collapsed in a heap on the ground; grunting and groaning while removing the weapon embedded into his flesh. "I'm an Original. Show a little respect..." Damon snarled before accepting Elijah's offered handkerchief to clean up the blood. The ancient vampire turned quickly, pausing in his exit as his gaze finally met my own. "You look beautiful, Adelina." I felt my cheeks heat when my sundress was noticed, "And I hope the next time we meet is under better circumstances." I swooned with his words, unable to push down my grin when he left Damon and I alone.
"What was all that about?" I was snapped from my daze, only just realizing Damon stood in front of me.
"What(?) I already told you I was team Elijah, why are you surprised?"
"Well, it's one thing saying it and then seeing it all play out when he's threatening me--"
"After you threatened him," I reminded the man. "Besides, why would I make a move against the man who sent his witch to save my life?" I held up a hand to halt his interruption, "I'm in town to keep yours and Stefan's girlfriend safe and alive, that's all. I trust the guy and even if he didn't have Elena's best intentions at heart then who cares(?) I'm here, and I have a much better hold and feel of the situation than you do, Damon. If you don't trust Elijah then at least trust me. Trust me to have good judgment and the ability to fix all of this. Can you do that?"
He huffed out a breath, "You know I trust you."
"Then leave him alone. At least until he steps out of line. Please?"
His jaw ticked as he considered my plea... "Fine."
-TIME SKIP-
The front door clanged shut behind me, "Hellooo!" My brow crumpled and volume dropped when I was met with silence, body freezing completely when I entered the library to find Damon chained up. "I feel like I wasn't meant to walk in on this."
Heads snapped in my direction with my words, all apparently too enraptured with torturing my 'sibling' to hear me come in. Jules shoulders squared back, "We stopped by for the moonstone and thought it was only just to torture the man who killed our friend."
I couldn't help but scoff at the smugness in her voice. "See, I'm trying really hard to not pull your spleens our through you mouths after your fuck buddy tortured me the other day." Just because I said it and honestly felt angry enough to commit the act, I knew I could never go through with it, my stomach still rolling from accidentally popping her lover's head like a zit. "So, because I'm fed up with seeing your faces, I'll give you the chance to get the hell out of my house without a scratch. Deal?"
Jules smirk only grew more twisted, "I'm gonna have to pass, sweetcheeks--"
"Well, that's a shame," my gaze flickered up to the other entrance, half dead heart giving a thud with the sight of a relaxed Elijah. "I feel Miss Salvatore's offer was rather enticing..." The quirk of his lips when his doe eyes met mine pushed all blood flow to boil my cheeks. "You're looking for this, I presume." A small white rock was tugged from his pocket, light steps carrying him to the table where he placed the stone for anyone willing. "Go ahead, take it," a more visible blur carried one idiot right into Elijah's arms, heart removed so the lifeless body could slump onto the sofa.
A pair decided it was their turn, honestly believing the two of them could take on an Original. All it did was decrease Jules' posse quicker as two more hearts dropped to the ground, I didn't miss Damon's impressed expression. Jules took her chance to escape, my annoyance and anger shrinking when I remembered she'd meet her end soon enough...
I started towards Damons position, "Is this a good enough lesson to stop screwing with werewolves?"
"Shut up," he groaned with a roll of his eyes.
"What about you, sweetheart?" I paused at the table, completely enamored by Elijah's looming presence over the final wolf. "Huh? You wanna take a shot? No? Yes? No?" He was met with silence, "Where's the girl?" Elijah's eyes met mine briefly, stoic demeanor cracking when he realized I'd witnessed every kill.
"She ran." I gulped, "I guess her life means more to her than revenge."
"Well, it doesn't really matter," his elbow swiftly made contact with the man's jaw, my flinching unstoppable when his neck snapped with the force. Elijah broke Damon's chains before I could, his own form of arrogance taking over as he gave the younger vampire a small smile. "You realize this is the second time I've saved your life now(?)"
"Adie was doing perfectly fine without you both times," Damon ground his teeth, determined to not let the Original win but also trying to play nice in front of me.
"I don't doubt that Adelina didn't need me here at all," he glanced back at me, silently asking me to follow before the moonstone was taken and his presence was absent.
I left it only seconds, Damon not even moving an inch before I turned on my heel and called back. "I'm taking a nap. If you want help burying the bodies then wait for Ric to wake up!" I paused at the open front door. Elijah was leaning against the doorframe, moonstone in hand and a smile on his lips. "Hey, I know it'll take more then torture for Damon to say it, but thanks for your help."
He held out the ritual rock, "Take this as a thanks for your thanks."
My brow raised, "You're giving it back?"
"I believe it would be a lot safer if it remained in your possession."
"Then I'll keep hold of it for you," I slipped it into my jacket pocket, gaze focusing on the mysterious glint in his eyes. "Is there something else on your mind?"
"You've seen me do everything I just did, both in person and through a small screen."
"Yeah?"
"How can you stomach it when I commit violence, when I kill?"
I was caught off guard by the question. Sure, watching it on TV, it was weirdly hot to see the guy you fancy kill the bad guys--or what you were conditioned to view as the bad guys. But in person, I was still trying to wrap my head around it, I suppose. "I don't really know. I think I'm still coming to terms with separating you as a person from the character, and then the actor playing a character. This all still kinda feels like a dream sometimes, so maybe it'll finally hit me when I come to terms with this as my actual reality. Does that make sense?"
"It helps me understand you a lot more, I suppose."
"Why would you wanna understand me(?)--I feel like I'm enough of a headache for you(!)"
"Well, maybe I just see something in you that I want more of..." I was knocked by the sincerity in his words, not expecting such honesty toward my attempt at humor. "Goodnight Adelina." I was just left as he walked away, blankly staring at his previous position while my brain dissected his words and heart tried to diminish the flutters of hope.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPDcwjJ8pLg... (Dirty Little Secret by The All-American Rejects)
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Thanks for reading x